Generation Y. How much of our stress do we owe to the glory that is Generation Y, also known as Millennials? Being the complete opposite of Gen X, or the Baby Boomers, Gen Y is cuddled and coddled beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Born between 1975 and 1995, Millennials have grown up in a time of complete technological change. This generation relies on their parents more than anything seeing as Baby Boomers worked so hard to climb the impossibly steep ladder to give their children everything they never had. Did their hard work pay off?

Debatable.

Gen Y “kids” have been able to see their parents’ hard work, but they haven’t necessarily learned from it. They have a sense of entitlement at work and home that has allowed them a free pass to happiness; no fee required. Gen Y babies have gone to college, graduated, gotten jobs… and are still living at home. Why? Because they deserve to.

The parents of Gen Y have spent their entire lives trying to give their child the best, from “participation trophies” and pats on the back to iPhones and college tuition. They have spent the majority of their children’s lives sticking up for them in ways that may have permanently damaged the child’s view on life. Their child got a bad grade on a test? It must be the teacher’s fault for not instructing well. Their child got caught stealing? It must be their employers fault for not giving them enough shifts at work. No matter what the situation may be, Gen X stands strong for Gen Y.

This generation is technologically smarter than their parents, but that’s not where their smarts end. They know just how to take advantage or manipulate people into getting what they want. Take the office setting, for example. Millennials need constant encouragement and praise, and they aren’t afraid to ask for it. More and more companies are providing cell phones and lap tops, replacing suits with polos, and implementing regular employee reward systems into their company plans. Who do we have to thank for this? Generation Y.

But what does this mean for the parents? It means that their savings are crippled or nonexistent. In a new world of instant gratification thanks to the internet, parents simply can’t keep up with the demands of Gen Y. Millennials are graduating from college and moving back home to save money in a world they’ve never had to actually live in. And it’s the parents who are paying their way.

What does this mean for Baby Boomers? It means they will be the ones paying for their children’s mistakes. As more and more parents pay for more and more of their children’s expenses, their savings accounts are dwindling and goodbye goes the retirement fund. At a time when it is crucial to continue saving for simple items such as food, clothing, and shelter, many Generation X adults find themselves scrambling to make ends meet. This could soon result in many senior citizens turning to food pantries and shelters to help them with the rising costs after retirement.

Even so, Generation X still stands up for their beloved Millenials, no matter what price tag it entails. But poor Millenials just don’t know any better, so it must be Gen X’s fault that they act the way they do. Right Mom?

If you or someone you know in the Dallas area is retired and struggling to keep up with the rising costs of food and other necessities, please visit http://www.ntfb.org and contact them about receiving assistance. To locate any other food bank in the United States, please visit this link.

www.ntfb.org

Your next door neighbor is raking the first signs of autumn leaves in his front yard… The little boy you babysit twice a month is begging for you to let him watch his favorite cartoons… Your old college roommate calls to tell you she is expecting her first grandchild…

What do these people all have in common? Yes, they all know and love the fabulous YOU. But other than that, they all also have families that love and care for them. They have good homes and steady jobs (The little boy’s job may only be to play Wall Ball and Wii in every second of his spare time, but who can blame him?). But when you look beyond the surface, after peeling away the layers used to cover dark secrets, you will realize that all three of these people are receiving meals from local food pantries.

Many people make the misconstrued assumption that the only people who need food assistance are the homeless or unemployed. What people do not realize is that there is an increasing amount of children, seniors, and the “working poor” who are having to turn to food pantries and charities for their daily meals. The “working poor” are classified as those who have jobs (often more than one) but still have not found a way to make enough money to feed themselves and/or their families. They are people just like you and me. They are people you may see every single day.

With America’s economy in the shape that it is in, the cost of living continues to escalate while the rate of unemployment does the same. At the beginning of this year, America’s unemployment rate was below 5%. Now, just nine months later, it has risen to 6.1%, the highest it has been in five years. In Dallas alone, the unemployment rate has shot up to 5.2%, the highest since three years ago. With so many people losing their sources of income, the need for basic necessities is greatly increasing. The amount of people that are reluctantly turning to charities and food banks keeps rising every day. People that never dreamed of needing assistance are suddenly finding themselves in financial trouble.

Many of us neglect to take the time out of our day to notice those less fortunate than us. While struggling to pay bills or wincing every time we pass a gas station, most of us have been fortunate enough to provide what we need to for our families. In fact, many of us can thankfully provide MORE than we need to for our families. But from dropping Christmas cards off at the Post office to picking our kids up from soccer practice, who can blame us? There is not enough time in the day to think about putting food on our own tables, much less the tables of others. But next time your child enters your kitchen wanting a snack, think of all the kids who have the same wants and needs, and whose mothers have to consistently tell them there is not enough food for a snack. The next time your husband asks what gourmet meal you want him to cook you for dinner, think about all of the husbands that would love nothing more than to be able to provide ANYTHING for dinner, gourmet aside. The next time you are at work, being reminded with sharp hunger-pangs that you still have two hours until your lunch break, think of all the people that have those same pangs but have no lunches to look forward to on their breaks.

It is difficult for many people to fully understand how someone could not be able to afford a meal. Maybe you are a college student, and your parents have always made sure you never wanted for anything (or at least that you had a nice, plush cushion to fall back on when your beer money ran dry). Maybe you were once a child whose family could not afford enough food, but, in order to provide for your family, you have worked your way to the top and do not have time to think about “small problems” like hunger in the community (not to mention you don’t remember what it feels like to go hungry for a night or two). Maybe you are a grandmother or grandfather who has steadily provided for your family, sure to provide nothing more and nothing less than what you need. Maybe you are a young professional who thrives on going to city hot spots with the chicest crowd. In all of these scenarios, it may be hard to envision what it feels like to go hungry, or how it feels to not be able to provide for the ones you love. In any case, it is never too late to think about it. Likewise, it is never too early to lend a helping hand to those who may need it.

There are many different ways to help someone in need, none of which go unnoticed. To locate a food bank near you, please visit Feeding America’s food bank locator at http://feedingamerica.org/zip_code.jsp

http://www.ntfb.org

All of us are busy with our everyday lives: going to the Post Office, picking the kids up from soccer practice, calling your grandmother just to say hello. With all of the hustle and bustle along with many families trying to keep up with the Kardashian way of life, the American Dream can get completely bogged down and left behind.

Maybe that’s exactly what we need.

The American Dream used to be a lofty, honorable goal of a country filled with possibility: a place where everyone’s voice is heard, everyone’s questions are answered, everyone’s opinions are encouraged. It used to imply a land where anyone could walk down the street freely. And it still does… but only if that walk is crippled by too-tall Jimmy Choo’s or accompanied by an Armani suit.

The American Dream has now morphed into the American Nightmare. It now entails bursting pocketbooks, fancy cars, and water turning into wine. It’s about always being seen with Gucci sunglasses, an oversized Prada purse, and a Starbucks latte in hand. It is known worldwide as the ultimate lifestyle; foreign actors and performers often don’t truly consider themselves successful until they have “made it” in America, no matter how famous they are in their own country. But when is enough enough? When will we realize that this dream is insanely out of reach for 99% of us? When will we admit that the latte is an empty Starbucks cup recycled off our own counter, the rented Prada purse is flooded with worn credit cards, and the oversized sunglasses are merely to prevent us from clearly seeing the economy crumbling around us? With many trying to keep up the facade of living large, citizens all over the country are sinking deeper and deeper into debt. People are choosing designer labels over practical clothing, extravagant vacations over homes, luxury cars over food. With so many people bypassing the necessities and diving straight into their own American Dream Fantasy Land, our country is finding itself in serious trouble.

Much of that trouble begins with poor money management and ends with a thought bubble of, “Why can I no longer afford the necessities? Where did my money go? How will I pay for my next meal?” That is when the real crisis begins.

More and more people that have just recently seen glitz and glamour are now turning to assistance such as food pantries. With employees getting laid off right and left and companies ranging from Macy’s to IT firms closing their doors, now is the time to expect the unexpected. Though one may feel the job they rely on is stable, the statistics today prove no one is truly secure. Now is the time to stash money away for days when the necessities such as food and shelter may be difficult to afford. With prices rising and salaries being slashed, it’s past time to uproot our American Dream and revamp it to suit our current surroundings. In other words, let’s create a whole new Dream.

In this Dream smarter spending, smarter planning, and eventually, the strong economic standing that we once held dear are the main focal points. Long gone are the designer jackets and high-rise apartments. It’s time to realize reputation, status, and material items are steadily suffocating our country. We must go back to square one to realize the true American Dream is about everything money CAN’T buy. It’s about living in a country where everyone’s voice is heard, and everyone’s opinions are encouraged, and everyone has enough food to be full at every meal.

After all, not everyone can keep up with the Kardashians.

If you or someone you know is struggling to make ends meet while we put our new American Dream into place, please contact them about receiving assistance. To locate your nearest food bank, please visit http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx

http://www.ntfb.org